Movable target.



No. 650,008. Patented May 22, I900.

R. B. HAMEL.

MOVABLE TARGET.

- (Application filed'July 19, 1899.) (No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Shed! l.

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No. 650,008. Patented May 22, I900. R. B. HAMEL;

MOVABLE TARG E T. {Application filed July 19, 1899.) I 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

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NITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE;

RICHARD l3. HAMEL, OF BELLPORT, NElV YORK.

MOVABLE TARGET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,008, dated May 22, 1900. Application filed July 19, 1899. Serial No. 724,430. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, RICHARD B. HAMEL, residing at Bellport, in the county of Sulfolk and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Movable Targets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw= ings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of my invention, showing the target operated by an electric motor and a rheostat for regulating speed thereof. Fig. 2 is also a diagrammatic View showing a modified construction and arrangement and the target operated by hand. Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing detail of construction of the targetcarrier. and 5 respectively show in detail front and side views of adjustable carrier for breakable targets.

My invention relates to movable land-targets for small-arms practice.

One object of my invention is to provide a movable target the movement of which will closely approach in direction and speed the flight of a bird starting from ground. I

A further object of my invention is to'provide amovable target which will allow the marksman to determine his individual error.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, D D are supports between which is stretched a wire B. Suspended from the wire trackway B by the pulleys and hangers C O is the target A, to the ends of which is secured the cord E. The center of the target is suitably indicated. The brushes of the electric motor F are connected with any suitable source of electrical energy and has in its field-circuit ff a rheostat F. The cord E passes over the pulleys e, e, c and c and is wound around the drum of the electric motor F. By the arrangement above described the speed of the target may be varied from the start to the finish of its run.

By stretching tightly the supporting-wire B it is obvious that the direction of movement of the target will be constant from start to finish and that by varying the respective heights of the supports of the wire B this direction of movement of the target may be varied at will. For this purposeatelescopic construction of the supports, with any suit-r able means for clamping the supports at any predetermined height, will be found convenient and desirable. It is also obvious that if the supporting-wire B is stretched loosely the weight of the target will stretch the support ing-wire and cause the target to travel lower than if the wire were tightly stretched; but as it approaches the support of the wireB at the finish of its flight it will take an upward turn. The more loosely the wire is strung the greater will be this upward turn at the finish of the flight.

In Fig. 2 the cord E passes around the pulleyE which is driven by hand through the spur-gear E and the pinion Efl-fast upon the same shaft with the pulley E This driving mechanism is contained in the bullet-proof inclosure G.

In Fig. 3 the target is made up of two parts-- viz. a carrier A and the target proper, A, adjustably secured thereto by the screw-thread= ed stud a, washer a, and wing-nut a By means of this vertically-placed clampingscrew,which operates as an adjustable swivel, the target A may be adjusted and secured at any angle to the line or plane of travel, so that the marksman may secure practice on an object moving in a direction more or less toward or from his position angularly, as in real fieldwork, as well as point-blank or at right angles to the plane of travel. It will readily be seen that the marksman by varying his position may at pleasure vary the character of the flights offered him from crossing to straight-away, but unless the target were adjustable with reference to its carrier the marksman could not vary his position without being compelled to shoot at an angle to the face of the target. By adjustably securing the target A to its carrier used when the marksman has become sufficiently expert in place of the 1arg er and heavier target above described. 'By the use of this lighter target a much higher rate of speed will be obtained with the same amount of motive power and with less wear and tear. There will also be the added advantage to the marksman to be derived from practicing at'a'small target with a more rapid flight. The breaking of the target will mark the successful shot. In the target shown in Figs. 4 and 5, Fig. 5 being a side view of what is shown in Fig.4, the target A is one of the ground either in direction or speed.

well-known forms of .clay pigeons and is clamped to the hook supported between the end d thereof and thefoot d of the springcontrolled clamp (1 The clamp (Z slides in a hole in the lug d and is controlled bythe spring d which bears against the lug (1 at its upper end and against the foot d of the clamp d v In ordinary clay-pigeon shooting the clay pigeons are sent from a spring-trap. The trajectory of the clay pigeon does-not resemble the path of flight of a bird rising from the By the means invented by me and herein described and "claimed the speed and-direction of move- 7 tion under any assumed condition.

difiiculty in the matter of marksmanship when hunting gamer Any suitable mechanism may be used for moving thetarget, and I do not limit my invention to'the means described, nor do I confine myself to a target movable only in one direction along the wire B, for it is obvious that with suitable mechanism the target may be moved in eitherdirection with equal facility. If desired, a small breakable target maybe I do not claim a movable target automatically reversible at the end ofits travel, my devicefor a secure adjustment of the target at a fixed angle to the plane of travel being fora different purpose; but

What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, isa 1. In movable target apparatus, fixed supports, a wire trackway suspended between said supports,a carrier traveling on said trackway, means for moving said carrier back and forth, a target suspended from said carrier, and means for adjusting and'securing said target at different angles inclined to the plane of travel of the carrier, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In movable target apparatus, a trackway suspended above the ground at an inclination, a carrier movable along said tracksuspended trackway, a carrier movable along said trackway, means for moving said carrier,

a removable target, and a spring clamping mechanism for readilyvattaching and detaching said removable target to and from said carrier, substantially as specified.

RICHARD B. IIAMEL.

' \Vitnesses:

DANIEL PETTY, JOHN B. ROBINSON. 

